Duck Derby Winners 2016

I’ve been involved with the Duck Derby for around 20 years, but this years running was the most challenging ever with adverse weather and extra deep, thick silt to endure all day. Huge “Thank Yous” to Jason Paxford and Simon Holly for helping to construct and run this years’ event, with help from Grace Paxford and especially Angela Shirt, stepping in at short notice to sell duck tickets in the atrocious windy and wet conditions.

An especially difficult day was apparent when, on lifting the barrier on Race 1, ducks took fright of the swirling wind and headed backwards toward the calm of the Old Mill pool! Those that did head ‘downstream’ only inched their way painfully toward the finish. Stragglers were caught by violent crosswinds, forced over the course barrier and only saved from the River Kennet and the open sea by some nifty footwork, sticks and nets! So much for the first race. A few course alterations and the rest of the races were run with no further escapes, but all were record slow race times so that the final did not run until 5pm.

So where did your ducks end up? Winners receive £20 and go into the final race with race finalists.